ABSTRACT
The study was carried out to identify the agricultural resource management competencies required for improving farmers’ productivity in Akwa Ibom State. Five purposes guided the study; five research questions answered and five hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. Related literature was reviewed under conceptual, theoretical, empirical framework and summary of reviewed related literature. Survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study was 708 which comprised 332 registered farmers, 307 teachers of agriculture and 69 extension agents. Stratified disproportionate sampling technique was adopted for the random sampling of 91 farmers and 96 teachers of agriculture while all the 69 extension agents were used. A structured questionnaire developed from the literature reviewed was used for data collection. The questionnaire was divided into two parts A and B. Part A sought information on the respondent’s relevant personal characteristics while parts B sought information in line with the purpose of study. Part B was further subdivided into 5 clusters, cluster 1 had 30 items, cluster 2 had 20 items, cluster 3 had 9 items, cluster 4 had 9 items and cluster 5 had 14 items. Each of the cluster 1-4 had 4 response options of strongly agreed (S.A)- 4 points, Agreed (A) -3 points, Disagreed (D)-2 points and strongly disagreed (D)- 1 point. The questionnaire was face validated by 3 validates in the field of Agricultural Education while Cronbach alpha was used to determine the internal consistency of 0.92, 0.90, 0.89 and 0.88 respectively on the five clusters. Copies of the questionnaire were administered to the farmers, Extension Agents and Teachers of Agriculture in the study area with the help of 3 research assistants. Out of the 256 copies, 247 were retrieved (97% return) and analyzed using mean and standard deviation for answering research questions and analysis of variance to test the null hypotheses. The study found out that the resource competencies required for improving farmers’ productivity for food security in Akwa Ibom State are: 29 items in crop husbandry; 20 items in animal husbandry; 9 items in soil fertility maintenance; and 13 items in marketin g of agricultural products. It was also found that there were no significant differences between the mean responses of the farmers, extension agents and teachers of agriculture on the four hypotheses tested on resource competencies required for improving farmers’ productivity for food security in Akwa Ibom State. The study concluded that the findings were the competencies required for improving farmers’ productivity for food security. Among the recommendations made were that vocational competencies acquisition centres should be established by the State government and the items used to form a module for training the farmers for improving farmers’ productivity.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover page i
Title page ii
Declaration iii
Certification iv
Dedication v
Acknowledgement vi
Table of contents vii
List of tables viii
Abstract ix
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 7
1.3 Purpose of the Study 9
1.4 Significance of the Study 10
1.5 Research Questions 11
1.6 Hypotheses 12
1.7 Scope of the Study 13
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Conceptual Framework 14
2.2
Concepts of Competencies
15
2.3
Agricultural Management Competencies
17
2.4
Concepts of Agricultural Resource
Management Competencies in
Crops’ Production 19
2.5
Concept of Agricultural Resource Management
Competencies in Animals
Husbandry 62
2.6 Soil Fertility Maintenance Concepts 69
2.6.1 Soil fertility
management approach 72
2.7 Theoretical
Framework 72
2.7.1 Theory of vocational
choice 73
2.7.2 Agricultural
production theory 75
2.7.3 Subdivisions of the
theory production 77
2.8 Review of Related
Empirical Studies 84
2.9
Summary of the Reviewed Literature
90
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHOD
3.1 Research Design 92
3.2 Area of the Study 92
3.3 Population of the Study 93
3.4 Sample and Sampling Technique 93
3.5 Instrument for Data Collection 93
3.6 Validation of the Instrument 94
3.7 Reliability of the Instrument 94
3.8 Method of Data Collection
95
3.9 Method of Data Analyses 95
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1
Results 96
4.2 Findings of the Study 113
4.2.1 Crop production competencies 113
4.3 Discussion of the Findings 118
CHAPTER
5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Conclusion
122
5.2 Recommendation 123
References
Appendices
LIST OF TABLES
1: Mean
ratings of the responses of farmers, extension agent and
teachers of
agriculture on resource management competencies in crop husbandry
required by farmer for improving productivity. (n=247) 96
2: Analysis of variance (anova) of mean
ratings of farmers, extension
agents and
teachers of agriculture on the resource management
competencies in
crop husbandry for improving farmers productivity for food
security n=247 99
3: Mean and standard deviation ratings of the responses of
farmers
extension agents and teachers of agriculture on
the resource
management competencies in animal husbandry required by
farmers for improving productivity for food security (n=244) 103
4: Analysis
of variance (anova) of the mean ratings of the responses of farmers, extension agents and the teachers of agriculture on the
resource management competencies in animal husbandry for improving farmers’ productivity for food security 104
5: Mean
and standard deviation ratings of the responses of farmers,
extension agents and teachers of agriculture on the resource
management competencies in soil fertility maintenance required by
farmers for improving productivity for food security (n=247) 105
6: Analysis
of variance (anova) of the mean ratings of the responses of farmers, extension agents and the teachers of agriculture on the
resource management competencies in marketing
agricultural products for improving farmers’ productivity for food security 107
7: Mean
and standard deviation ratings of the responses of farmers,
extension agents and teachers of agriculture on the resource
management competencies in processing of
agricultural products
required for improving
farmers’ productivity (n=247) 108
8: Analysis
of variance (ANOVA) of the mean ratings of the responses of farmers, extension agents and the teachers of agriculture on the
resource management competencies in processing
of agricultural products for improving farmers’ productivity for food security 110
9: Mean and standard deviation
ratings of the responses of farmers,
extension agents and teachers of agriculture on resource
management competencies in marketing of agricultural products for improving farmers productivity (n=247) 111
10: Analysis
of variance (ANOVA) of the mean ratings of the responses of farmers, extension agents and the
teachers of agriculture on the
resource management competencies in
marketing of agricultural
products required for improving
farmers’ productivity 112
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Agriculture
plays prominent roles in the economy of Nigerian and Akwa Ibom State in
particular. Certainly, agriculture is the frequencies through which livelihood needs
of most humans are met, most especially in Akwa Ibom State, where majority of
her population are relying on agriculture as the main source of income (Modebelu
& Nwakpadolu, 2013), Modebelu and Nwakpadolu estimated about 60% Nigerians
relying on agriculture for their livelihood, also it is estimated that more
than 70% Nigerian population are relying on agriculture for food supply and
other livelihoods. Most of these Nigerians lives in rural communities prone to
poverty (FAO, 2008). Despite the recent development in agriculture with a view
to human wellbeing, agricultural growth continues to lack behind (Fuglie & Rada 2013). Nin-partt
(2011) reported a decline in efficiency level of
agricultural productivity as major cause for low productivity growth in
agriculture.
Agriculture
sector in Akwa Ibom State, has in the recent time suffering from low yield
which could be lack of effective utilization of farmers’ competencies such as
competencies in the use of improved machines, seeds, fertilizer, irrigation,
insecticide etc (Akpan 2016). Added to this Ejafu (2013) stated that one of the
causes of decline in growth role in Agricultural productivity is lack of
effective utilization of farmers’ competencies and finance.
However,
to derive the benefit of agriculture, farmers need to possess the necessary
agricultural resource management competencies for its production. A Farmers in
general are persons who purposely undertake the practice of producing crops and
raising of animals for food and incomes generation. In the context of this
study, a farmer may include anybody who is involved in crop husbandry, animal
husbandry and other related activities toward provision of food for human
consumption, or as feed for animal as well as raw materials for industrial
uses. This individual owns a farm, actively or purposefully participate in
production of crops and animals. Thus, for the purpose of this study, the
farmers include all commercial farmers, and those individuals who rear animals
or produce crops for their personal use and those who produce farm products for
commercial purposes. These individuals could only be successful if they acquire
resource management competencies. For
the purpose of this study, Teachers of agriculture are those secondary schools’
teachers who teach agricultural related subjects such as agricultural science
and animal husbandry while extension agents are Akwa Ibom State Agricultural
Development Programme (AKADEP)
staff whose jobs is to create awareness
and disseminate new innovation, skills and competencies to the rural farmers.
Agricultural resources from the stand point of
Olajide and Heady in Uko (2015) are of two types and are:
1.
Material
or non-human resource such as land, capital, assets in form of buildings,
machines, farm tools and equipment, seeds, farm chemicals, water, planting
materials and fund. Each of these material resources plays a significant role
in crop and animal production process, and without them production cannot take
place.
2.
Human
resource such as labour or entrepreneur who is responsible for decision making
and planning of activities in the process of production. The human resource
whose duty is decision making is responsible for planning and directing input
resources towards achieving set goals in the production process (Olayinde &
Heady in Uko 2015). Therefore, in the content of this study, agricultural
resources refers to all forms of farm input, be it material or human resource
required in each level of crop and animal production.
Management,
in the context of this study, involves the planning, organizing, implementing
and controlling of human and material resources to obtain food security in
crops and animals’ production. In order to achieve improved productivity, the
farmers must be possessed competencies required for the effective management of
human, material resources and soil fertility to achieved food security.
Management according to Uko (2015) involves the process of allocating material
inputs and directing of human resources for production through proper planning
and control mechanisms for the purpose of producing goods and services.
Furthermore, Morachan (2004) defined management as the arrangement of available
human and materials resources for the achievement of the desired goals and
objectives. One can therefore refer to management as the effective prudent
utilization of resources for the realization of the predetermined goals and
objectives. More so, management function of an organization includes but not
limited to the following; staff personnel management (human resource
management), physical or material resource management such as building,
equipment, objects, capital, machines, farm tools, farm chemical (Olayedo &
Heady in Uko 2010).
Human
resource is the individual or staff in an organization whose work is to
recruit, manage, control and provide direction to other subordinates who work
in the organization for the purpose of the achievement of the set-out goals and
objectives (Fuglie
& Rada 2013). They are key component in
an organization structure who oversee the overall performance with the purpose
of bringing out the best in people for high productivity. Improved production
change may be place in the hands of individuals who are involved in the
management of agricultural resource for improvement of farmers productivity. Competencies
in motivating, training, supervising, and provision of functional welfare
policies do not only involve money but rather other packages like employer and
employee personal relationship as it is most times geared towards the
enrichment of personnel performance and it is required from agricultural firm
manager to obtain the best from his workers (Fuglie & Rada 2013). Organization
administrator often times involves his subordinates in decision making with
constant communication linkage to improve their dedication and commitment to
organizational goals and objectives, in line with this, Fuglie and Rada (2013) opined
that there must be a good communication mechanism among staff within and
outside organizational goals at all level of production. The present of good
information and effective communication channel in an organization will help to
carry individual personnel along with the organizational aims and objectives
which will motivate them to improve their performance.
Material
resource management, in the context of this study, is the prudent use of
physical farm facilities such as a building, farm equipment, farm records,
stores, offices, furniture, fertilizers, lands, capitals, and among others
facilities that augment agricultural production process. However, Asyai (2012) stated that the quality of any
organization output is depending on so many factors among which material/physical
facilities is paramount. This shows that materials resources management among rural
farmers is very important to a farm enterprise because poor resource management
may decline farmers’ productivity. Materials resource management task thus
includes planning, recruiting, storing, utilization and maintenance of
facilities to improve production process. More so, timely inspection and
regular monitoring of farm could be a periodical to point out areas of
resources management needs of farmers in Akwa Ibom State.
According
to Armstrong and Michael (2009) Nigerian organization lack facilities and even
the available few are defective due to poor utilization. So, farmers require
competences in effective material resource management for effective
productivity improvement. Competency in the view of Olaitan & Omomia, (2006)
is the knowledge, skills, attitude and judgment which a person is required in
order to perform successfully at a specified proficiency in any given work.
Competencies is the ability to do something well, measured up to standard,
these are often gain through training or experience (Jaafar & Khalatbari, 2013). Jaafar and Khalatbari (2013) opined that competency is the
successfully performance of tasks through the use of knowledge, skill,
attitude, and judgment, which means that these researchers agreed that
competency is the manipulation of knowledge, skill, attitude to enable one
achieved successful conclusion in a given project. Robinson (2009) sees competency as the ability
to do something well, measured up against a standard especially the ability
required through training or experiences. From the above researcher’s views
point of competency, it is therefore meaning that to be a competent, one requires
skills, good attitude to do something in a satisfactory standardized way. In
the context of this thesis, competency is the ability, skills, knowledge,
attitude acquired through training for effective management of agricultural
resources for improving farmers’ productivity for food security.
The concept of agricultural improvement from the stand
point of Nwankwo
(2007) is the development
of circumstances or something that is lacking to better the existing standard or
quality of agriculture. Improvement is the means of getting things better
(Pearson, 2007), and Pearson (2007) further stated that improvement is the
process of making something better than before. The above definitions show that
improvement arises when there is imbalance, needs, or a cap to fill in. Jaafar
and Khalatbari (2013) sees improvement as the circumstance that requires
something to be done. This calls for meeting the target. When farmers’ targeted
standard is met, it will be for the betterment of the farmers through salable
competencies for improving of farmer’s productivity for food security. The
improvement involves enhancing the capability of farmers in managing
agricultural resources for the better performance in productivity. Hence in
this study, competencies improvement is the process of adopting the identified
competencies to better farmers’ productivity than before, so as to enable them
produce sufficiently to reduce food insecurity in Akwa Ibom State.
Presently
in Akwa Ibom State, farmers are still seen using crude implement such as hoe,
knife, hand shovel, instead of adopting the improved farm implement such as:
tractor, harvester, planter etc, added to these is that agricultural resource
management competencies are not effectively utilized which could be due to lack
of agricultural resource competencies required for improvement of farm
productivity, because the State is predominantly inhabited by landless,
uneducated, poor subsistence farmers (Akpan, 2016). The process of the farmers
to produce enough food for its increasing citizen population is still
declining; hence making it to continue as a state that is still depending much
on the importation of food items. Therefore, there is need for farmers to
acquire competencies, especially those related to the production of crops and
animals to boost the production and achieve food security in Akwa Ibom State.
This could only be possible if the available resources are efficiently
utilized. In this regard, the aim of this study is to determine the
agricultural resource management competencies required for improving farmers’
productivity, hence, this study seeks to fill in the gap.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
From time immemorial, agriculture continue to
play a significant role in the economic development of Nigeria in general and
Akwa Ibom State in particular where agriculture sector is large in terms of
employment and aggregate income. For instance, in the submission of CTA (2012),
agriculture is the primary source of employment and income in Africa which
accounting to 65% employment and 32% of gross domestic product (GDP). Fuglie and
Rada (2013) identified improvement in agricultural productivity as a stimulant
toward greater food output. Higher agricultural productivity is capable of
boosting household and national income through increase trade and improved
access to food (Awuokus & Xie 2015). While Dzanku (2005) sees agricultural
productivity growth in developing countries as having positive effects on
poverty reduction and food security. In line with this, Olaitan and Omomia
(2006) outlined the importance of agriculture to include provision of food,
employment, income, raw materials to industries, foreign exchange, shelter, and
clothing among others.
Currently in Akwa
Ibom State, based on the contribution of agriculture to the state, the
government has made massive investment toward crops and animals’ productions to
generate enough food from the available agricultural sectors of the state. As
such, Akpan (2006) reported that the cardinal goals for government investment
in crops and animals’ production are:
1
To raise the level of
production among crops and animals’ farmers from subsistence to large-scale
production;
2
To promote exportation of
crops and animal produce; and
3
To diversify food base
from importation to locally made goods.
In
accomplishment of these goals, the government of Akwa Ibom State through
extension services of agricultural development programme (ADP) disseminated
agricultural resources in crops and animals’ husbandry to farmers, granted
agricultural loans; distributed fertilizer and improve crops and animals’ varieties
to farmers at affordable prices. The farmers who are the beneficiaries of these
government gestures to boost crops and animals’ productivity are ageing; less
productive and could not effectively utilize the resources of their disposal to
improve crops and animal production in Akwa Ibom State.
Presently,
food security situation of Akwa Ibom State could not increase substantially to
cater for the investment into it (Akpan 2016). These ugly situations led to
continuous dependency on food importation while agricultural resources are
there lie untapped.
The
government could not achieve its objective of improving agricultural
productivity despite its massive investment into it, there is a continuous
dependency on importation of foreign goods instead of improving our
agricultural products for our consumption and even for exportation to booster
our economy situation. The farmers could not improve agricultural productivity,
rather, they are still relying on crude implement and unimproved skills
operation, thus, they are still seen as rural dwellers characterized with
uneducated, landless, poor, aging subsistence farmers with low yield (Akwa Ibom
State Socio-economic Study Report (AKBASES, 20018). Several studies have been
carried out on agricultural resource management competencies in Africa (Garba
2011; fisher 2013; Donye 2014 & Jones 2014). All these studies concluded
that agricultural resource management competencies have the potential for improving
farmers’ productivity. However, there is still much gap between demand and
supply of food with increasing poverty in Akwa Ibom State, especially
consumption poverty. To achieve the Millennium Development Goal of halving the
proportion of hungry people by 2030, it is projected that 22 million people
must achieve food security every year. This could only be possible if the
available resources are efficiently utilized. In this regard, the aim of this
paper is to determine the agricultural resource management competencies
required for improving farmers’ productivity in Akwa Ibom State. Therefore, it
is against this backdrop that the researcher is poised to determine the agricultural
resource management competencies for improving farmers’ productivity for food
security in Akwa Ibom State.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The main purpose of the study is to determine
the resource management competencies required for improving farmers’
productivity in Akwa Ibom State.
Specifically,
the study seeks to:
1. determine
the resource management competencies in crop husbandry required for improving
farmers’ productivity;
2. identify
the resource management competencies in animal husbandry required for improving
farmers’ productivity;
3. ascertain
resource management competencies in soil fertility maintenance required for
improving farmers’ productivity;
4. identify
resource management competencies in processing of agricultural products
required for improving farmers’ productivity and
5. determine
resource management competencies in marketing of agricultural products required
for improving farmers’ productivity in Akwa Ibom State.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The
findings of this study will be of great benefits to: farmers, potential
farmers, teachers of agriculture, extension workers, curriculum planners,
unemployed youths, researchers, and the government of Akwa Ibom State.
The
farmers will ascertain and adopt agricultural resource management competencies
required in improving farmers’ productivity and become fully aware of the
benefits associated with acquiring these competencies, if the competencies are
make available to them through extension agents acquisition programmes;
If
the findings of this study are made available to the youths through acquisition
programmes, potential farmers (youths) will as well benefit from the findings
of the study in that the awareness of these competencies will entice them to
venture into farming, create employment for themselves, earn a living and
improve their standard of living;
It
will provide teachers of agriculture with information of resource management
competencies required for improving farmers productivity and food security,
also it will help them to have a good knowledge of agricultural resource
management to develop appropriate instructional and teaching skills in line
with the agricultural resource management competencies for improving farmers
productivity and to be able to train the farmers and the students of
agriculture;
The
findings of the study will enable extension agents to train farmers and
potential farmers on agricultural resource management competencies for
improving farmers’ productivity and food security in Akwa Ibom State;
The
curriculum planners could as well include the findings of agricultural resource
management competencies for improving farmers’ productivity and food security
into curricula of crop and animal husbandry in secondary schools for students
to be thought step by step procedure in crop and animal production;
To
the youth, the findings of this study will help create awareness of importance
of agriculture as well as identifying the agricultural resource management
competencies for improving farmers’ productivity. This will equally go a long
way to encourage people to queue in into the agricultural sector;
The
findings of this study will help the researchers to have a broader view of the
subject matter, increase their knowledge of the agricultural resource
management competencies for improving farmers’ productivity and as well serve as
a resource material to people who may need information on crop and animal
production; and
Lastly,
findings of the study will benefit the Akwa Ibom State Government especially in
improving farers productivity and food security in the state, and in her responsibility
to provide enabling policy for these who may venture into farming.
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What
are the resource management competencies in crop husbandry required for
improving farmers’ productivity?
2. What
are the resource management competencies in animal husbandry required for
improving farmers’ productivity?
3. What
are the resource management competencies in soil fertility maintenance required
for improving farmers’ productivity?
4. What
are the resource management competencies in processing of agricultural products
required for improving farmers’ productivity? and
5. What
are the resource management competencies in marketing of agricultural products
required for improving farmers’ productivity in Akwa Ibom State?
1.6 HYPOTHESES
H01.
There is no significant difference among the mean ratings of farmers, extension
agents and teachers of agriculture on resource management competencies in crop
husbandry required for improving farmers’ productivity.
H02.
There is no significant difference among the mean ratings of farmers, extension
agents and teachers of agriculture on resource management competencies in
animal husbandry required for improving farmers’ productivity.
H03.
There is no significant difference among the mean ratings of farmers, extension
agents and teachers of agriculture on resource management competencies in soil
fertility maintenance required for improving farmers’ productivity,
H04.
There is no significant difference among the mean ratings of farmers, extension
agents and teachers of agriculture on resource management competencies in processing
of agricultural products required for improving farmers’ productivity and
H05.
There is no significant difference among the mean ratings of farmers, extension
agents and teachers of agriculture on resource management competencies in marketing
of agricultural products required for improving farmers’ productivity in Akwa
Ibom State.
1.7
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study focuses on the agricultural
resource management competencies for improving farmers’ productivity and food
security in Akwa Ibom state. The study determines agricultural resource
management competencies required in crop husbandry, animal husbandry, soil
fertility maintenance, processing of agricultural production as well as
resource management competencies in marketing of agricultural products for
improving farmers productivity and food security in the study area.
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